Gwanak-gu District Mayor Park Jun-hee announced plans to strengthen a community-centered independence support system that identifies young people struggling to settle into society after leaving residential child-care facilities and connects them with ongoing assistance.
The district signed a memorandum of understanding Thursday with the Dongmyeong Child Welfare Center, represented by Kim Gwang-bin, and Sangrok Nursery, represented by Bu Cheong-ha, to launch "Joyakdol," a case management support project for youth transitioning out of care.
The name "Joyakdol" — meaning "to become independent by preparing little by little, making promises, and receiving care" — refers to a project providing tailored, integrated case management for young people who face difficulties adjusting to community life after leaving a facility or who need ongoing support. The program covers housing, finances, employment, and psychological and emotional well-being.
Support is delivered in stages, from initial outreach through post-case follow-up. The Dongmyeong Child Welfare Center and Sangrok Nursery identify eligible youth, guide them into the program, and share their independence-readiness status and basic information with the district.
Based on that information, the district conducts initial consultations and needs assessments to draw up individualized support plans, then coordinates necessary services through integrated case conferences involving neighborhood community centers and relevant agencies.
During the case management process, public and private resources are matched to each participant according to their individual plan. Even after a case is formally closed, neighborhood community centers continue to monitor changes in each person's daily life, and the need for re-intervention is reviewed if new difficulties arise.
Particularly significant, officials said, is the establishment of a cooperative framework among the district office, neighborhood centers, and residential child-care facilities. The framework ensures that young people who run into trouble even after formal support has ended can access help again within the community.
The district said it plans to go beyond short-term problem-solving by continuously monitoring each young person's path to independence and changes in their circumstances, with the goal of supporting stable community integration and building their capacity for self-reliance.
"Young people who have left care facilities need careful, sustained attention tailored to their individual circumstances in order to build stable lives in the community and prepare for their own futures," district mayor Park said. "Through this agreement, we will work closely with residential child-care facilities to accompany each young person on their journey to independence and actively support them in standing on their own two feet in a healthy way within our community."
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